Am.  Jour.  Pbarm. 
July,  1898. 
A  Species  of  Commelina. 
327 
That  part  of  the  ether  extract  of  the  plant  which  was  insoluble 
in  water  was  treated  with  alcohol.  This  solvent  dissolved  67-69  per 
cent,  of  the  extract,  leaving  1777  Per  cent,  of  insoluble  matter. 
The  alcoholic  solution  gave  the  following  evidence  of  resinous  mat- 
ter; the  addition  of  water  caused  the  precipitation  of  greenish  resin- 
ous substance ;  alcoholic  solution  of  ferric  chloride  gave  a  dark 
green  color;  alcoholic  solution  of  lead  acetate  produced  a  green 
flocculent  precipitate.  The  small  amount  of  the  ether  extract, 
which  water  and  alcohol  failed  to  dissolve,  was  also  insoluble!  in 
aqueous  solution  of  potassium  hydrate  ;  alcoholic  solution  of  potas- 
sium hydrate  dissolved  it,  however,  and  it  proved  to  be  a  mixture*of 
chlorophyll  and  resinous  matter. 
Fig.  5. 
After  the  exhaustion  with  petroleum  ether  and  ether,  the  plant 
yielded  1-04  per  cent,  of  matter  to  the  solvent  action  of  absolute 
alcohol.  Water  dissolved  84-97  P^1"  cent,  of  the  extract.  The 
aqueous  solution  had  a  slight  acid  reaction  toward  litmus  paper. 
It  contained  potassium  chloride.  A  portion  of  the  solution,  acidified 
with  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  gave  a  copious  red  precipitate  with 
Mayer's  reagent;  another  portion,  prepared  in  the  same  manner, 
yielded  a  copious  reddish  precipitate  with  potassium  tri-iodide. 
Salts  of  silver  and  gold  were  reduced  by  still  other  portions  of  the 
aqueous  solution  of  the  alcoholic  extract.    Some  of  the  same  solu- 
